In your opinion, what are the best non-Leica rangefinders ever built?

[250swb]

You mean this thing on my GW690III?
View attachment 328613

The major issue I have with these external light meters are their lack of AEL. Whenever I move my eyes away from the viewfinder and look at the hot shoe light meter, I see that the light meter reading keeps changing so fast that I'm never really sure what the right exposure is. :/

I think that depends on what you are metering from. A reflectance meter (so a simple rangefinder camera meter) reads to create an 18% grey from what you point it at, so if you meter from green grass this reflects an 18% grey and is a datum point. There are other things that reflect 18% grey not withstanding a Kodak Grey Card which is good to use and gain experience from even if you don't use it all the time. So whether you have a meter built into the camera or not you should generally be pointing your camera/meter at the ground somewhere to get an accurate reading, not at the horizon where you can get massive fluctuations in meter readings just by tilting the camera up or down a fraction. So given rangefinder meters, or hand held meters, or accessory shoe meters are not matrix metering just look at the reading when the meter is pointed in the correct direction (downwards) and remember what it says.

 

[Huss]

You mean this thing on my GW690III?
View attachment 328613

The major issue I have with these external light meters are their lack of AEL. Whenever I move my eyes away from the viewfinder and look at the hot shoe light meter, I see that the light meter reading keeps changing so fast that I'm never really sure what the right exposure is. :/

The Voigtlander VCII meters AE lock.

 

[Bill Burk]

As good as the Konica Hexar was... IMO any camera that can no longer be repaired, couldn't possibly qualify as "the best non-Leica rangefinder ever built"

By that measure the Kodak 35 and Argus C-3 are tied for first place. I absolutely hate these cameras but would take them white water river rafting before any of the others.

 

[MattKing]

By that measure the Kodak 35 and Argus C-3 are tied for first place. I absolutely hate these cameras but would take them white water river rafting before any of the others.

If you took both of them, the raft would be very stable due to the weight

 

[sfphoto]

"I admittedly like the fact that it includes 40mm frame lines so I can dispense with the 35mm and 50mm lenses and just get one good 40mm lens"
"future 35mm rangefinder to have an internal light meter"
---

1) Bessa w/ 28 & 35mm ? for me those are to close, I'd like 35 & 25mm. Lots of shooters here suggested Canon and Nikon vintage RF cameras, Both makers produced a 25mm, and so did Voigtlander in modern times.

2) CLE w/ VC 40f1.2 & 28f2 ?, I would wager that the 40f1.2 will block the VF image on the tiny CLE. Perhaps the 28 as well. It was designed for the tiny Rokkor lenses.

3) Metering. Your 'not outdoors during the day' images with complex lighting would be best metered w/ modern evaluative metering rather than 1980's camera meters. Perhaps take along a pocket size digicam and take note of what exposure it determines.
Your subjects seem to be static so you have plenty of time to meter the scene.
REF: kristianwolfe.com/works



Hope this helps!

 

[Huss]

I’m surprised no-one has mentioned the Agfa Optima 1535. Perhaps, nay, the best fixed lens 40mm rangefinder camera ever made. EVER! Plus it has that super sweet Plaubel stylin thing happenin.

Took this pic of a Chinese Spy Balloon with it two days ago. On C200

 

[sfphoto]

@Huss

re: 1535 Agfa

The OP hopes to use a VC 40f1.2
just sayin'

---

re: Chinese Spy Balloon

Did not see Hermosa Beach, CA mentioned on its' flight path?

 

[Huss]

@Huss

re: 1535 Agfa

The OP hopes to use a VC 40f1.2
just sayin'

---

re: Chinese Spy Balloon

Did not see Hermosa Beach, CA mentioned on its' flight path?

That explains why those doods on board were so mad at me when I shot it down.

Cv 40 1.2? I got yer CV 40 1.2 right here, on my M7:

 

[Codeman73]

I just received a mint Canon P with the 50 1.4 and it's a true gem. NO electronics of any kind! I really like that idea. On the same day the aperture ring on my Olympus 35 SP locked up and looks like I'm headed to the repair shop for an expensive checkup.

On another note, yes...smaller files for your images on the site. Aside from MUCH faster download times, you don't want people downloading full size files like that do you? BTW, love your stuff and appreciate your POV. Quite akin to my work.

 

[manfrominternet]

That explains why those doods on board were so mad at me when I shot it down.

Cv 40 1.2? I got yer CV 40 1.2 right here, on my M7:

Huss, even though I know full well that the photographer makes the photo, your work nonetheless has this amazing quality of making me want to get the same camera you used to make it. Excellent work!

 

[manfrominternet]

I just received a mint Canon P with the 50 1.4 and it's a true gem. NO electronics of any kind! I really like that idea. On the same day the aperture ring on my Olympus 35 SP locked up and looks like I'm headed to the repair shop for an expensive checkup.

On another note, yes...smaller files for your images on the site. Aside from MUCH faster download times, you don't want people downloading full size files like that do you? BTW, love your stuff and appreciate your POV. Quite akin to my work.

Thank you kindly for your words! I'm steadily reworking the file sizes on my website as you brought up a worry that I actually always had in the very back of my mind.

Do you have a website I can check out?

 

[manfrominternet]

I saw the Huss mention the fixed-lens Agfa Optima 1535. I'm probably already asking too much from you guys, but I'll go ahead and just ask it:

-Would any of you recommend any metered fixed-lens rangefinders? (e.g.- Minolta Hi-Matic 7SII, Canonet G-III QL17, Agfa Optima Series, etc.)

 

[polka]

Yes, Iwill ! I am surprised that nobody mentionned the Yashica E35 - 45mm/1.7 fixed lens (and his siblings with 40mm and 35mm fixed lenses).

In 1967, this was my first camera, it just arrived to France, very sparingly like all japanese imports, and it immediately seduced me because of the automatic metering and electronic shutter. I found it actually more convenient to have direct control of the depth of field and just some hint of the shutter speed ; you could also trick the meter if needed by changing the film speed setting.

The most impressive thing about this camera was the huge range of automaticity ; this first picture was taken at F/16 around 1:500.

And this next one was taken with the lens very open (I don't remember exactly the f-stop) and an - automatic - exposure time longer than 30sec.

Some 12 years after my first Yashica E35, I got a Minox 35EL for the same reason : the electronic shutter ! (this camera was a rare occurence of Germany copying japanese technology .

Here I show you an equivalent couple of examples shot with this compact "scale focus" camera.

The great thing about the minox was its very sensitive shutter release knob, and I had usually no problem to take this kind of pictures (several seconds exposure times) hand held without any support.

 

[canaq]

Can I just say I love my Canonet QL17? Been using it for quite some time now, maybe not the most advanced camera, but I just love using it. It's small enough to fit my pocket, yet it's not a plastic-y point and shoot. I will never sell this small bundle of joy

 

[Hassasin]

Voigtlander Vitessa barn-door. Quick thumb focusing, rapid plunger film advance, very compact once closed. There is a Vitessa T with interchangeable lenses, just not the same. This one is great for hanging out with.

 

[GRHazelton]

Voigtlander Vitessa barn-door. Quick thumb focusing, rapid plunger film advance, very compact once closed. There is a Vitessa T with interchangeable lenses, just not the same. This one is great for hanging out with.

I have a barn door Vitessa, f2 Ultron, built in meter (working and accurate), ever ready case, lens hood, several filters.... A lovely camera and a pleasure to use. Plus a certified babe magnet.....If I were younger and single....Ah well....So it goes.

 

[David Reynolds]

Kodak Brownie

 

[BradS]

Pacemaker Graflex Crown Graphic top rangefinder with bone stock 135mm Optar

 

[dave olson]

Bessa R3A or Nikon S 2000.

 

[Pioneer]

Hard to beat that Graflex for image quality

 

[SpinierPigeon]

Aires IIIs are excellent fixed-lens rf cameras, if not a little chunky. I really like my Zeiss Super Ikontas/Super Ikomats too

 

[manfrominternet]

Any experiences here with using the Minolta 7SII or Canon Canonet Q17 GIII?

I'm having trouble picking between these two.

 

[madNbad]

Any experiences here with using the Minolta 7SII or Canon Canonet Q17 GIII?

I'm having trouble picking between these two.

The Canonet meter only works in Auto mode. If you switch to setting to setting the speed and aperture manually, you'll need a seperate meter. I'm not sure about the Minolta.

 

[Sammydesinas]

Any of the Nikons S are tanks.

 

[manfrominternet]

Well, I have an update that I wanted to run past you guys:

I have the opportunity to purchase a mint black Zeiss Ikon ZM, an equally mint black Zeiss 50mm F2 Planar lens, a Zeiss Ikon Side Grip, a Zeiss lens hood, and a Mr. Zhou leather camera case for $2000 flat. All items come with their respective boxes and all paperwork and, as mentioned, everything looks brand new.

Should I pull the trigger on this if everything checks out for $2000 or do you think I'd be better off if I pass? Right now I'm debating between this and the Minolta CLE, which is a bit less expensive, but much older.